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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - SEPTEMBER 27: (L-R) Jan Blachowicz of Poland reacts after defeating Dominick Reyes in their light heavyweight championship bout during UFC 253 inside Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on September 27, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)
It’s Fight Week on Fight Island. UFC 267 is upon us with a loaded fight card set to go down from Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz will take on veteran Glover Teixeira in the main event while Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen battle for the interim bantamweight strap in the co-main event. The card serves as a numbered PPV event while being free on ESPN+.
At 41 years old and more than seven years removed from his previous shot at UFC gold, Teixeira is an unlikely title challenger. Still, a five-fight winning streak that includes two wins over former title challengers has made him as strong a contender at 205 pounds as is available in the division’s post-Jon Jones era.
Blachowicz has proven himself a legitimate champion, first winning the vacant title against Dominick Reyes and then defending the title against middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. In both of those title fights, Blachowicz entered the Octagon as the underdog. That will not be the case against Teixeira.
Plus, this card also marks the return of two fo the promotion’s rising stars. Khamzat Chimaev burst on the scene in 2020 with absolute destruction. He dominated John Phillips in his promotional debut before making the walk again 10 days later with a first-round TKO of Rhys McKee. He then went viral with a one-punch knockout of Gerald Meerschaert that ended the fight in just 17 seconds. But Chimaev then contracted COVID-19 and a long road to recovery kept him out of action for over a year. Now, he returns against a tough opponent in Li Jingliang in the welterweight division.
The action goes down on Oct. 30 from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. It is a rare UFC “numbered” event that will air as a non-pay-per-view event.
